Family Time and Sentimental Crafting!

Well ! What a Summer! We seem to have had one lot of visitors after another - not that its not nice to see everyone - it is, but life just seems Soooooo busy!

Have you all had a nice summer break with the children off school and what not? We had our little people to stay last week, lots of noisy fun!

Hubby P was Grandad for the week and had deep, deep pockets for all those yummy icecreams and whatnot.

Our little Grandson is coming on in leaps and bounds - well not literally of course! Such a smiley relaxed sort of chap - the baby not Hubby P, mind you they are rather similar in that respect.

Once we were visitor free, we had to crack on and get some jobs done. Hubby P spent most of his weekend in this position -

He is sorting out my little Morris Minor car (Dixie) -

something to do with the water not circulating as it should. I must say he is very good at that sort of thing!

Whilst he was doing that I did my bit and 'bottomed' her - Hubby P took the back seat out so that I could give her a good clean. The people who had her before us must have been gardeners - the space under the seat was full of soil and odd seed packets with seed still in them. I've saved them just to see if they will grow next year, 1976 was written on one packet.

We also pulled out an old bit of curtain - real Vintage stuff - obviously been used as an old rag, and got lost down the back of the seat.

Here's Sam the bear, Co Pilot Extraordinaire, helping me clean up!

I was quite fascinated that this piece of fabric has survived and ridden up and down in the car for possibly 30 years - where was it from, did the owners of the car have it as curtains in their kitchen?

I felt it was a part of the cars history -so I gave it a good soak, and a good boil wash, it came up fairly well, still a few stains - but they are its story.

I salvaged the best bits and made it into a cushion for the back seat of the car.

And it will continue its journey, bumping along the highways and byways of Anglesey.

And it will look pretty on the backseat of the car!

I just love the design, and the texture of the fabric is so - kinda 'feelgood' if you know what I mean!

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We managed an indoor carboot sale at the weekend - it rained and rained, and rained some more!
I found this sweet little tartan case - in really good order for £1!

It will go nicely with my other Vintage luggage - and I can use it for storing fabric, the fabric stash is growing again! And the sewing cupboard is full again! - I've had a bit of a clear out and put some on ebay - take a look if you are a sewing/crafting sort of person.

Please don't look at all the chaos on the table - its just a reflection of my life at the moment!!

Just a little pic of Fly - she is settling in well!

Ta Ta for now xx

Skip Finds, Crafting and Pretty Pretty Flowers!

Hope everyone is okay!

Were all fine here, Hubby P is counting down the days until his weeks holiday - away from work, but he intends to start building a shed! - I suppose its no different than us Girls wanting time to do our crafting!

Much enjoying my pretty Marigolds - the garden is full of them so I brought a few in to cheer the place up. With having very small windows set in old deep walls the sitting room doesn't get a lot of sun.

On the crafting front, I had a mad couple of hours sewing this - and sewing on the buttons whilst watching The Forsyte Saga (hasn't it been good - Soames, so creepy yet sexy in a kinda way - I know I sound sad or disturbed even!).

Back to the bag, its made of some old bark cloth I has stashed away, I just fancied a flowery vintage-y sort of thing. Made a rough pattern out newspaper and, well - bobs your uncle!

It was a good excuse to get out my pretty lace and vintage buttons.




And I raided my stash of vintage buckles!

At the weekend we had major dismantling works - well pulling down, any old fashion, the old green house and taking it to the tip - sorry 'Recycling centre'. Making room for the new 'holiday shed project'.

Well I just love a trip to the tip - it just amazes me what people throw away - some would call my looking in all the skips verging on the nosey side! But I take no notice!

And look what I found!

I have discovered that if you ask the nice 'skip guy' nicely for something in the skip, usually - with a nice smile, he will get it out for you.

I found a nice little metal table - someone had painted it in emulsion paint, so it was peeling off (emulsion - not designed to be outdoors), and the loveliest little rough wooden box.

I took them home and stripped the table of all its old paint and gave the box a good wash. There were splashes of paint on the inside of the box, so I decided to line it with old music paper, I left all the rough edges showing to keep the old rough look.

It stands well on top of the dresser as a kind of shelf, or bookcase.

Ideal for my cookery books and whatnot!

The little table I gave a coat of black (its the colour of paint I had in the shed!), it is exterior paint so it should last for a while.

I thought it looks well - to say it had been thrown away - its nice to give something a new lease of life!

On the Garden front, the Cardoon is looking magnificent! I just love the spiky purple tops!

They tower above the other plants, making a real show!

Here they look quite spooky in the fading evening light!

That's all for now folks, take care xx

Hello! Just some odd bits and bobs!

Hello there!

Hope you've all had a good week - despite the rain and grey skies! Did you have rain? If you didn't and its been gloriously sunny - I don't want to know!

Not much to show you today - my trusty camera has gone and died on me. I think its dead and gone for good - time for a new one! So although I have some nice bits from the car boot, I can't show them to you - sorry!

Although before it died I managed to get a pic of this darling little cupboard that I found yesterday at the carboot sale. I had to almost wrestle it off another guy, who was busy trying to impress me by telling me he was a dealer, but a few soft words and flutter of the eyelashes won the day!

So I brought it home, gave it a wash, and filled it with the everyday kinda things a girl needs - mostly make up, perfume, hair brushes and whatnot. Essentials! - I could never live in the jungle without a bit of lippy!

It has little indentations on the top, I thought perhaps they were for holding a tray - glass or maybe mirrored. Quite French looking I thought. Pretty!

Because of the lack of new pic's - here are some oldies, some of my favorite things!

Hats!

Flowers!

Family!

Food! - a guilty one I'm afraid!

Gardening!

Dixie - my little Morris!

Well that's got to be it for now - take care x

Taoist Birthday's and Crafty Fun !!

Well ! I seem to have been rushed off my feet, but have found my crafting mojo - popped up from somewhere!

Nice Birthday Weekend - it was my eldest Son's Birthday today, where have all those 24 years gone? Its scary!

Now, my Son goes his own way, follows his own path, is indeed his own Man - the kind of attributes I had hoped to foster in my children. This path encompasses the Tao - he lives his life as closely as possible to the understanding of Taoist teachings. Its too complicated to go into here - look on the web - tons of stuff there!

But part of this lifestyle means he doesn't want things, for 'wants' sake, doesn't really want new fashionable clothes etc - makes buying presents really difficult!

So I thought I would make him a Meditation mat, I had noticed, on a nice day he takes an old towel into the garden to sit on (and meditate). I just used an old vintage blanket and appliqued a Taoist symbol in the centre. Around this grows a tree - from one side to the other the leaves symbolising the changing seasons of the year.

The height of Summer moving into Autumn - even a little acorn!

Around the outside of the tree - moving through all the seasons are footprints with embroidered words - all have a meaning to those following the Tao.





He seemed pleased with it, either that or he is just humouring his old Mum! And of course I enjoyed making it it for him!

On the crafting front - like I said found my mojo!
Once I had papered the walls in my summerhouse I was so pleased with the result I decided to do a similar effect on the walls in my hallway. I wanted a mis-mash of different types of print, I have music, old letterpress print, old vintage wallpaper to give a slight touch of colour, old discoloured newspapers and lots of other bits and bobs. Today I found an old booklet (in pieces ) of vintage Christmas music!
It will be a 'Conversational' piece if nothing else!




Here's Hubby P with his latest find - an old Opticians Eye Testing Box - thingy - twas only £1!
Unfortunately he couldn't get it to work - some bits missing. The paper roll inside should/or would at one time roll slowly down showing different letters and symbols for the client to read - usually at a set distance. The apparatus is housed in a lovely wooden box with little doors, the whole thing had been fixed to a wall.

It couldn't be fixed so Hubby P suggested he at least save the printed roll from inside, so that I could use it on my wall - or some other crafty thing - such a clever Hubby P!!

I just love it - what is it about printed papers?!

And just look at these wonderful children's symbols - well assuming they were for children, maybe if you couldn't read you could at least recognise a row of soldiers!!

More action with the pasting brush - Hubby P says 'he dare'snt sit still for too long'!!

I found a nice old suitcase, twas a bit tatty inside so I lined it with this rather nice paper featuring stylish Vintage-y Ladies. I found the paper in one of those lovely, delightfully expensive shops that you usually love to browse in - but find everything just too pricey! Could only afford one sheet - but even that was tied with a ribbon and put in a posh bag!

Finished case, with todays Carboot sale finds.

Cant wait to use my little case, I am going to fit it out with nice Vintage-y toiletries and fluffy towel, use it as a nice weekend bag. Just need to arrange a nice weekend away now!

Some of today's finds, pretty hippy- dippy scarf 50p from a nice young woman emigrating - somewhere - I am sure she said - cant remember - must be my age!

Pretty covered coat hangers - just like my Grandmother had - am I becoming my Grandmother!? OMG as the youngsters say!

Yet more Dairy Maid to add to my collection, some pretty purses - and a whole box full of fabric!!

I am the woman who said 'No more', 'No more' - 'I have no more room for any more fabric'!

My Name Is Vicky - And I Am A Fabricoholic!!!!!

How could I refuse this whole box of vibrant, colourful, delightful fabric all for £5. All are big pieces a couple are large pieces of wool - others are vintage acrylic types. No doubt it will all be used in the fullness of time - the Poi I made for Will to take to the Festival sold like hotcakes.
I'm a sucker for these bright vibrant colours!

Anyway enough for now - this has been a huge post - thank you for bearing with me.

xx Take care for now xx

And then there were three little bunnies!

Hello there! Had a good Weekend?

We have been ever so' busy with a house full of friends and family, a great gathering of the 'clan' - the great and the good - and not so good I dare say!

So not too much of interest, not much crafting, or car booting, to 'blog' about -

The sad news is that we lost two of the baby rabbits, so we are down to three. They seem to be okay, doing well - she says with crossed fingers! I look at them that many times during the day - willing them to be well and thrive, I think they think I am really rather odd!!

They seem to be eating well, and they are as nosey as ever!

On the gardening front I was gifted a nice Morning Glory - a climbing plant, for helping with the Family 'bash' - some people are just so kind.
Its just waiting for me to brave the rain and plant it!

The rain and wind has been awful here! Its wrecked the garden, blowing over all my nice tall hollyhocks just as they are beginning to flower.

Just thought I would show you this odd little photo, its supposed to be of the dogs - but they moved! But its a nice picture of my metal stand with a new carboot find - a tatty old enamel dish and jug, I thought it looked quite - well - very 'Country living'!!

Say 'Hello' to Fly!

Fly has come to us from a friend, who has changed jobs and finds caring for her a bit difficult. Fly was a rescue dog, in terrible condition when Maria first got her. She is a bit better now in a physical way, but so very timid, and cowers at the least little thing.

We think she is about 7 yrs old, but she is very small, and looks so vulnerable.

So now we have Fly - waifs and strays often wander through our gate, sometimes they live out their lives with us, sometimes they move on. I like to think we do what we can, and our lives are all the more richer for it.

She seems to have settled well, she gets on with our other dog Uncas, he is a big softy, part sheepdog, husky and wolf, he is big and can look scary, but she's got the measure of him - she is boss!

A little carboot sale find yesterday.

First of all I must give away one of Hubby P's weaknesses - he is a Womble Fan - remember the Wombles!!!! (The Wombles of Wimbleden were a childrens TV programme in the 70/80's - for those of you over the pond!).

Anyway over the years Hubby P has had a special Womble pillowcase - swears he can't sleep without it!

I have a few of this design, so that he always has a clean one, but I have only ever seen this one design.

So imagine my delight at finding this other 'new' design in a pile of bed linen at the carboot sale!

Of course Hubby P was just delighted! - more Wombles!!

It was nice and clean (although I put it through the wash just to freshen it up), and it came with a single duvet cover. I shall keep the duvet cover for the fabric - may even make him a Womble nightshirt! Or would that be a bit much?**

That's all for now folks, just off to rescue my washing off the washing line, this wind is getting stronger!

xx Take care xx bye for now xx

Sad News! and everyday stuff!

A few pretty flowers for you!

I have some sad news today, although the baby rabbits are ok, their Mother sadly died over the weekend. All I can think is that she picked up some kind of infection after/during the birth, and just couldn't shake it off. She seemed fine until a few days ago - I was a bit worried she was getting thin, but I thought that was due to her suckling her young.

Luckily the young are old enough to get on without her. I buried her under a nice Rosemary bush. Another few weeks and I will start looking for homes for the babies.

On a lighter not, I found this for 50p at the car boot sale on Sunday - its a tourist-y thing with 'Paris' embroidered on it, but the hat is a good quality beret. So I bought it thinking I could do something with it! (well for 50p!!!)





I had some nice Vintage pretty bits in my sewing stash, so I just covered up the tacky 'Paris' with a - well, a kinda flower thing-y! I think it works quite well!






'This week we have mostly' - been playing Poi.
For those of you who don't know what on earth I am talking about (I didn't know until last week!) Poi is a set of two weighted lengths of something - these on the photo are fabric, but you can buy them as weighted balls on lengths of string. And you do a series of moves/patterns, twirling them about.
Some people do it with lighted (as on fire!) Poi - I have ruled that out completely, we have enough accidents in this house!



Apparently its all the rage with the young folk at the music festivals, so Will (seen above) who is going to 'Glade' (a Festival for all us who are past thinking of such things!) asked if 'we' could make some for him and his friends. The 'we' of course being me doing all the sewing - him filling the bags of rice for weights! I managed to find some old - Vintage I might add, crimpoline fabric from my stash to make them. We found this worked better than cotton - its that bit elastic-y.
And I found a big piece of jazzy crimpoline at the car boot, so we made some more!




We made so many he's taking lots and going to sell them at the Festival!

There was so much of this jazzy stripy fabric I made some colourful bunting! We are having a Party this weekend, just a family thing, but I thought it would look rather jolly!

As its Tuesday today - its car boot sale day!

Just one or two things today, a nice cake plate with pretty roses, and a 1940's bottle of Yardley Lavender scent. The scent comes in its original box with a little hand written note from Thomas, dated 1940! So sweet!

Flowers too, some unusual ceramic (white) ones and deep purple flowers - paper or perhaps wood - I'm not sure. They make a nice display alongside my Lily's from the garden.

xx That's all for now folks xx Take care xx